Philip Trevelyan
Encyclopedia
Philip Erasmus Trevelyan (born 1943) is a British
farmer
, entrepreneur and former film editor and television director
, most noted for the 1971 film The Moon and the Sledgehammer
.
and his first wife the potter Ursula (nee Darwin
. In 1974 he married Amy Eleanor Pryor (known as Nelly), youngest daughter of the entomologist and Cambridge Scholar M.G.M. Pryor and his wife Sophie (nee Raverat) daughter of Jacques Raverat
and Gwen (nee Darwin)
. This is a cousin marriage
- they are third cousins, their shared ancestors being their great-great-grandparents, Charles Darwin
and Emma (nee Wedgwood)
(who were first cousins). The Trevelyans have two sons, Jack (born 1977) and Matthew (born 1979) and a daughter, Susannah (born 1987).
. While at the latter institution, he directed and edited the film Lambing (1964, 20 mins, 16mm, black and white), which was awarded the National Nature Film Festival 1st prize and was broadcast on BBC TV. His second film was The Ship Hotel, Tyne Maine (1966, 35 mins, 16mm, black and white), a documentary centred around a Tyneside
pub, concentrating on a group of people who go there every Sunday to drink and sing. This was awarded a silver medal by the Royal College of Art. His third film as director was The Farmer's Hunt (1968, 40 mins, 16mm colour), a BBC film of stag hunting on Exmoor
. His fourth film was, as already mentioned and discussed elswhere on Wikipedia, The Moon and the Sledgehammer
(1971, 65 mins 16mm colour). His next film was Big Ware (1971, 16mm colour 40 mins), a TV documentary about George Curtis of Littlethorpe, near Ripon, a traditionalist potter. Between 1972-1974 he directed seven titles of the series Portraits of Places, written by and featuring Ray Gosling
.
In 1976 Trevelyan was hired to direct a dramatised film about the Mongols
and the building of Isfahan, to be produced by David Frost
, however the Iranian Revolution
curtailed the project. His next film was co-director and editor of a film entitled Basil Bunting (1979, 16mm colour, 60 mins) , about which was about Basil Bunting
, and was shown at London
and Cannes
. K.491 (1979, 16mm colour 60 mins) was an exploration film about Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 24
. His last film was in 1985, with Surrealism in Liverpool, a Grenada TV film celebrating Surrealism and the arrival of an international exhibition as the new Tate Liverpool
with commentary by George Melly
.
The Trevelyans bought a hill farm, Hill Top Farm in Spaunton
, North Yorkshire
1974. The farm turned organic
in 1985. They farm Swaledale sheep to produce Shearling
meat that is sold locally.
In 1997 Trevelyan founded the "Lazy Dog Tool Company", which specialises in handmade hand tools for "chemical-free weed control". This has featured on Gardeners' World
(2002). In 2003 it was awarded a Green Apple Award by The Green Organisation. In 2005 Trevelyan also started a flour milling company "Yorkshire Organic Millers", who mill locally-grown organic wheat. On 23 January 2008 Hill Top Farm was visited by HRH The Prince of Wales.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
, entrepreneur and former film editor and television director
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
, most noted for the 1971 film The Moon and the Sledgehammer
The Moon and the Sledgehammer
The Moon and the Sledgehammer is a British 1971 cult documentary film directed by Philip Trevelyan and produced by Jimmy Vaughan which documents the eccentric lives of the Page family, consisting of Mr Page, and his adult children Jim, Pete, Nancy and Kath, who live in a forest near Chiddingly,...
.
Personal
He is the son of the artist and poet Julian TrevelyanJulian Trevelyan
Julian Otto Trevelyan, RA was a British artist and poet.Trevelyan was the only child of Robert Calverley Trevelyan and his wife Elizabeth van der Hoeven...
and his first wife the potter Ursula (nee Darwin
Ursula Mommens
Ursula Frances Elinor Mommens was a British potter. Mommens studied at the Royal College of Art, under William Staite Murray, and later worked with Michael Cardew at Winchcombe Pottery and Wenford Bridge Pottery.She was the daughter of Bernard Darwin and his wife the engraver Elinor Monsell...
. In 1974 he married Amy Eleanor Pryor (known as Nelly), youngest daughter of the entomologist and Cambridge Scholar M.G.M. Pryor and his wife Sophie (nee Raverat) daughter of Jacques Raverat
Jacques Raverat
Jacques Pierre Raverat was a French painter.He married the English painter Gwen Darwin, in 1911, the daughter of George Darwin and granddaughter of Charles Darwin. They had two daughters, Elisabeth , who married the Norwegian politician Edvard Hambro and Sophie who married the Cambridge scholar...
and Gwen (nee Darwin)
Gwen Raverat
Gwendolen Mary "Gwen" Raverat née Darwin was a celebrated English wood engraving artist who co-founded the Society of Wood Engravers in England.- Biography :...
. This is a cousin marriage
Cousin marriage
Cousin marriage is marriage between two cousins. In various jurisdictions and cultures, such marriages range from being considered ideal and actively encouraged, to being uncommon but still legal, to being seen as incest and legally prohibited....
- they are third cousins, their shared ancestors being their great-great-grandparents, Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
and Emma (nee Wedgwood)
Emma Darwin
Emma Darwin was the wife and first cousin of Charles Darwin, the English naturalist, scientist and author of On the Origin of Species...
(who were first cousins). The Trevelyans have two sons, Jack (born 1977) and Matthew (born 1979) and a daughter, Susannah (born 1987).
Education
Trevelyan studied at Kings College, Newcastle and the Royal College of ArtRoyal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
. While at the latter institution, he directed and edited the film Lambing (1964, 20 mins, 16mm, black and white), which was awarded the National Nature Film Festival 1st prize and was broadcast on BBC TV. His second film was The Ship Hotel, Tyne Maine (1966, 35 mins, 16mm, black and white), a documentary centred around a Tyneside
Tyneside
Tyneside is a conurbation in North East England, defined by the Office of National Statistics, which is home to over 80% of the population of Tyne and Wear. It includes the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the Metropolitan Boroughs of Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Tyneside — all settlements on...
pub, concentrating on a group of people who go there every Sunday to drink and sing. This was awarded a silver medal by the Royal College of Art. His third film as director was The Farmer's Hunt (1968, 40 mins, 16mm colour), a BBC film of stag hunting on Exmoor
Exmoor
Exmoor is an area of hilly open moorland in west Somerset and north Devon in South West England, named after the main river that flows out of the district, the River Exe. The moor has given its name to a National Park, which includes the Brendon Hills, the East Lyn Valley, the Vale of Porlock and ...
. His fourth film was, as already mentioned and discussed elswhere on Wikipedia, The Moon and the Sledgehammer
The Moon and the Sledgehammer
The Moon and the Sledgehammer is a British 1971 cult documentary film directed by Philip Trevelyan and produced by Jimmy Vaughan which documents the eccentric lives of the Page family, consisting of Mr Page, and his adult children Jim, Pete, Nancy and Kath, who live in a forest near Chiddingly,...
(1971, 65 mins 16mm colour). His next film was Big Ware (1971, 16mm colour 40 mins), a TV documentary about George Curtis of Littlethorpe, near Ripon, a traditionalist potter. Between 1972-1974 he directed seven titles of the series Portraits of Places, written by and featuring Ray Gosling
Ray Gosling
Ray Gosling is an English journalist, author, broadcaster and gay rights activist. In February 2010, he claimed during a local BBC television programme to have killed a lover, in an act of euthanasia. He was arrested and released on police bail...
.
In 1976 Trevelyan was hired to direct a dramatised film about the Mongols
Mongols
Mongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
and the building of Isfahan, to be produced by David Frost
David Frost
Sir David Frost is a British broadcaster.David Frost may also refer to:*David Frost , South African golfer*David Frost , classical record producer*David Frost *Dave Frost, baseball pitcher...
, however the Iranian Revolution
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
curtailed the project. His next film was co-director and editor of a film entitled Basil Bunting (1979, 16mm colour, 60 mins) , about which was about Basil Bunting
Basil Bunting
Basil Cheesman Bunting was a significant British modernist poet whose reputation was established with the publication of Briggflatts in 1966. He had a lifelong interest in music that led him to emphasise the sonic qualities of poetry, particularly the importance of reading poetry aloud...
, and was shown at London
London Film Festival
The BFI London Film Festival is the UK's largest public film event, screening more than 300 features, documentaries and shorts from almost 50 countries. The festival, , currently in its 54th year, is run every year in the second half of October under the umbrella of the British Film Institute...
and Cannes
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
. K.491 (1979, 16mm colour 60 mins) was an exploration film about Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 24
Piano Concerto No. 24 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K. 491 is a concertante work for piano, or pianoforte, and orchestra by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart composed the concerto in the winter of 1785–1786 and completed the work on 24 March 1786...
. His last film was in 1985, with Surrealism in Liverpool, a Grenada TV film celebrating Surrealism and the arrival of an international exhibition as the new Tate Liverpool
Tate Liverpool
Tate Liverpool is an art gallery and museum in Liverpool, Merseyside, England, and part of Tate, along with Tate St Ives, Cornwall, Tate Britain, London, and Tate Modern, London. The museum was an initiative of the Merseyside Development Corporation...
with commentary by George Melly
George Melly
Alan George Heywood Melly was an English jazz and blues singer, critic, writer and lecturer. From 1965 to 1973 he was a film and television critic for The Observer and lectured on art history, with an emphasis on surrealism.-Early life and career:He was born in Liverpool and was educated at Stowe...
.
The Trevelyans bought a hill farm, Hill Top Farm in Spaunton
Spaunton
Spaunton is a hamlet and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated near Lastingham and about north west of Pickering....
, North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
1974. The farm turned organic
Organic farming
Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and control pests on a farm...
in 1985. They farm Swaledale sheep to produce Shearling
Shearling
Shearling is a sheepskin or lambskin pelt that has gone through a limited shearing process to obtain a uniform depth of the wool fibers for a uniform look and feel. Contrary to misconceptions, shearling is not shorn wool; the term refers to the pelt of a yearling sheep that has been shorn only once...
meat that is sold locally.
In 1997 Trevelyan founded the "Lazy Dog Tool Company", which specialises in handmade hand tools for "chemical-free weed control". This has featured on Gardeners' World
Gardeners' World
Gardeners' World is a long-running BBC television programme about gardening that continues to this day. Its first episode was filmed in 1968, presented by Ken Burras and came from Oxford Botanical Gardens. The magazine BBC Gardeners' World is a tie-in to the programme. Most of its episodes have...
(2002). In 2003 it was awarded a Green Apple Award by The Green Organisation. In 2005 Trevelyan also started a flour milling company "Yorkshire Organic Millers", who mill locally-grown organic wheat. On 23 January 2008 Hill Top Farm was visited by HRH The Prince of Wales.
Externals links
- http://www.themoonandthesledgehammer.com/phil.html
- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1749015/bio
- http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/features/a_taste_of_life_on_the_moorland_1_2301005